From the Mef new measures to protect businesses and professionals from the risk of usury

Facilitating access to bank credit for professionals, micro-enterprises and SMEs in precarious economic conditions. And prevent them from resorting to less-than-legal channels. This is the aim of the new decree of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which, after being examined by the State Accounting Department and the Court of Auditors between March and April, should soon be published in the Official Journal. The text, among other novelties, also envisages the reorganisation of the financial endowment of the Wear Fund for 2026. But let us try to understand in detail what it is about.

Among the most significant novelties of the ministerial decree is, without doubt, the restyling of the role of the confidi. These are, as is well known, consortia for the collective guarantee of credit, cooperative bodies that act as intermediaries between companies and banking institutions and facilitate the admission to loans without the need for personal guarantees. With the new rules, the confidi will be able to lend money directly, bypassing the obligation for the recipient to go to the bank.

Obviously, there are requirements to be met: these bodies will be able to disburse funding up to EUR 40,000 for each individual operation and each individual enterprise. Not only that: direct disbursements will only be legitimate if they are made within the threshold of 40 per cent of the contributions available to each consortium. Funds that will not have to be committed - on 31 December of the year preceding the operation - to the special anti-usury fund of reference.

Various transparency obligations are also envisaged. In fact, the entities will have to adopt and publish on their website a credit regulation that gives an account of the credit granting, management and monitoring processes, highlighting specific competences and responsibilities. Not only: the notes to the financial statements will have to document all credit disbursement procedures carried out using the Fund's resources and the impact of these operations on the assets, financial, and economic situation of the Confidi involved.

The company concerned may, however, also continue to rely on more traditional circuits, thus opting for a loan application to the bank. In this case, the ministerial decree strengthens the guarantees. Those made available by confidi, associations or foundations can cover up to 80 per cent of the amount of money granted within the framework of a financial transaction that cannot exceed the amount of 150,000 euro disbursed in favour of the beneficiaries and that can last up to a maximum of ten years. The guarantee protects not only the initial capital loaned, but also the interest that accrues over time and the extra interest due to missed or late payments. This is a win-win solution for both parties: an incentive for the borrower and extra protection for the lender.